A pillow is typically a fabric bag stuffed with a soft material. Conventional pillows generally provide a soft cushion on which to place one's head while resting or sleeping, either in bed, or on upholstered furniture in which case the pillows typically have a permanent fabric cover.
Pillows are used in various ways. Some people have developed a habit of placing an arm beneath the pillow to raise their head to a more comfortable position. When two people share a bed or couch, one person often places an arm directly beneath the head of the other person. This gesture of closeness, while basically affectionate, has the drawback of causing discomfort and stiffness to the arm because of reduced circulation from the pressure of the other person's head. As an alternative, the first person may place his or her arm under a pillow on which the second person is resting his or her head. This alternative, however, still has the disadvantage of discomfort and stiffness caused by the pressure between one person's arm and underlying support surface that may be a hard floor.
The present invention recognizes that a solution can be achieved by forming a pillow in a tubular configuration adapted for inserting one's arm and supporting one's own head or one's partner's head. This improvement in comfort benefits both individuals when a pillow is being shared. The use of a pillow on the arm of one individual and beneath the head of the other partner maintains cushioning between the body parts, thus absorbing body pressure between head and arm. It is further recognized that such a tubular pillow provides significant benefits when one is reclining on a couch with a partner or relaxing on the floor, as in watching television or listening to music.
It is further recognized that, as with ordinary bed linens, it is periodically necessary to wash fabrics that become soiled due to repeated contact with body surfaces and oils. For example, a conventional pillow case is easily removed from the pillow for washing. However, a conventional pillow case will not suffice as a cover for a tubular pillow, because it only has an opening at one end. It is recognized by the present invention that a cover for a tubular pillow must allow the arm of a person to extend through both open ends of the tubular pillow, protect the inner and outer pillow surfaces from direct body contact, and also be easily removed for washing.
A number of pillows having arm receiving openings are known in the prior patent art. One such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,906 to Sumpter for a Sleeping Pillow With Arm Openings. The pillow disclosed by the Sumpter patent has a pair of tunnel-like openings for receiving both arms of a sleeper. The arm receiving openings are positioned on either end of the pillow with a pillow area left between the openings to support the head of the sleeper. One disadvantage of the Sumpter pillow is that the user must sleep while lying face down in a prone position. In addition, the Sumpter pillow cannot be used to support the head of a partner.
A number of patents have been issued for inventions providing a form of cushioned arm band that is intended primarily for the purpose of supporting the head of an infant during feeding. Typical of these patents are U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,520 to Koch and U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,769 to Thomas. These patents disclose arm band inventions in which the band is fitted snugly to the arm and covers only a small length of the arm, typically around the elbow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,717 to Sue teaches a Pillow For Arm Of Person Holding A Child. The disclosure of this invention provides a pillow that covers the arm of the person in the area of the elbow. A pillow cover, shown in FIG. 3 as number 19, is placed over the pillow to provide a removable, washable, outside cover. This patent does not, however, teach or suggest a cover to protect both the inner and outer surfaces of the pillow.
None of the known prior art patents provides a tubular pillow configured to loosely surround substantially the length of a person's arm while comfortably supporting the head of another person. Nor does any prior patent disclose or suggest an enhanced bed pillow for use by an individual by placing one or both arms in its central tunnel while resting his or her head on the pillow upper surface. Neither does the known prior art provide such a pillow with a removable protective tubular covering.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular pillow having a single passage through its center.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tubular pillow that loosely encloses a substantial portion of one or both of a user's arms.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a tubular pillow that cushions an arm within a central passage while a head rests on an upper surface thereof.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a removeably mountable covering for a tubular pillow that is configured to cover and protect the inside and the outside surfaces of the tubular pillow.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a tubular pillow and a covering, tube therefor that are each configured to be removeably, affixed to one another.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for covering a tubular pillow.
It is a further object of the present invention to emulate the appearance of a conventional bed pillow or couch cushion.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and appended claims.